By Trish Svoboda

Kansas residents can expect a reduction in their grocery expenses in 2024. Beginning Monday, January 1, the sales tax on grocery bills in Kansas will be halved, dropping from 4% to 2%. This tax cut is part of the legislative plan passed in April 2022, aiming to eliminate the state’s food sales tax by 2025. The initial reduction took place in January 2023, when the tax was reduced from 6.5% to 4%.

However, the tax cut is not universal for all grocery items. It applies to “food and food ingredients”. This includes items such as produce, milk, soft drinks, candy, dietary supplements, bottled water, and food requiring additional cooking. The reduction does not extend to prepared foods, alcohol, or tobacco.

The tax cut is exclusive to the state’s food sales tax and does not apply to local sales taxes imposed by cities or counties.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture predicts that all food prices will increase by 1.2% in 2024, and food-at-home costs will decrease by 0.6%, while dinning out is forecasted to increase by 4.9%.